FRESNO, Calif. (KMPH) -
Apparently churches aren't off limits anymore for people with guns. Harmony Baptist Church in Southeast Fresno wasn't the intended target but it didn't stop the shooter from firing away.
Fresno Police say he was aiming for a brother and sister walking in front of the church. The bullets hit high and nearly missed a cross. Luckily they didn't penetrate the wall because people were inside the church during the Friday afternoon shooting.
Pastor Chad Williams was meeting inside Harmony Church on East Belmont when he heard something unusual about 2:30 Friday afternoon. "Inside it sounded like somebody dropped a folder or somebody had clapped to that effect."
The shooter was riding in a blue 2000 Toyota sedan. The shell casings were found in the street. He fired 3 shots at two young people walking in front of the church. Luckily he was a bad shot. All three shots from a handgun were at least 10 feet high on the church wall. One missed the cross by just inches.
Fresno Police say the brother and sister didn't recognize the gunman or the driver of the getaway car.
Tex Peterson who works for the church, hopped on his motorcycle after hearing all the commotion. "Heard gunfire. Came over to investigate due to all the recent theft and vandalism upon our church."
Fresno Police were there in minutes. They recovered shell casings from the shooting and will look at surveillance video taken near the shooting scene.
Pastor Williams is new to Fresno and admits the southeast part of town has its challenges. "I don't know in our culture anymore I don't know if anything is called sacred. Once upon a time you didn't touch a church. Nowadays anything goes."
Harmony Baptist Church has been the target of vandals and copper wire thieves in recent months.
